Archive for 2016

Chellarkovil, Kumily

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Chellarkovil, Kumily
Chellarkovil is a small sleepy village situated 15km north to Kumily in Idukki district. The village is in the Anakara Panchayath which is located on the Kerala – Tamil Nadu border. It is known as the best eco-tourism spot in Idukki. The picturesque beauty of the mountains, waterfalls and greenery all around is a unique experience for the tourists. The cascading waterfalls of this village emerge in Kerala state and fall into the Tamilnadu region and provide irrigation to the vegetation throughout the path. The place is situated 1200m above the sea level. The nearest railway station in Tamilnadu region is Theni and it is 60km away. In Kerala region is Kottayam and is at a distance of 109km from Kumily. Cochin and Madurai airports are close by and at a distance of 140km approximately. Local bus service is available from Kumily town directly to Chellarkovil. The village slopes down to the eminent coconut groves of Cumbum, in Tamil Nadu. 


In 2008, the eco-tourism project was launched here with the minimal funding from the eco-tourism council and the forest department. The villagers took the initiative in this project. In this project a number of huts, path ways, watch tower, herbarium of medicinal plants and a tourist amenity centre are built for the convenience of tourists. The watch tower is equipped with a telescope in its balcony and it is known as ‘God’s own balcony’. The view of sunset and sunrise from the balcony is awesome. Tourists can enjoy guided tour to spice garden and Ayurvedic garden. Tree top huts are built as a part of the eco-tourism programme. Trekking is another attraction of Chellarkovil. Home stays are available for tourists to have the experience of village life in the high ranges. The income generated from these activities is mainly used for the environment protection and afforestation. People can visit this high range area except the heavy monsoon time of June and July. From the top of Chellarkovil people can see the panoramic view of Theni and Mangaladevi (highest point of Periyar Tiger Reserve).
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Tree Houses in Kerala

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Tree Houses in Kerala
 
Tree house is called as ‘Erumadam’ in local language and means a house made on tree top with all basic amenities. These were used by the hunters for keeping their food and weapons safely while they had to stay back in forest. Tree houses can be fixed on a platform around the tree trunk or branch. In earlier days these houses were created by different tribal people for self protection from wild animals in the forest. Now these are mostly used for leisure, recreation, work space, housing or as observation tower. The important feature of the tree house is that it does not harm the surroundings in the forest area and heavy alterations are not required in the trees to arrange one house. Tree houses in Kerala are mostly used for short time stays by visitors and it is widely accepted by adventure loving people. These are tastefully designed and built with eco friendly materials like bamboo, coir, hay straw and normally has a height of 20-90 ft above ground level. Sometimes these huts will have live trees passing through as an initiative taken to minimize the alterations to the environment. Fastening with ropes or nails, usage of stilts or stay rods or struts are the different methods of fixing the tree house on the tree tops. Tree house attachment bolt (TAB) is a new development that can support more weight than earlier methods and is widely used now. Wooden stairs, hanging or fixed ladders are used to go up and down. As per requirements the tree houses are prepared with facilities for children, work space, play structure or as fully functioning homes. Adventure tourism Kerala is popularising the usage of tree houses to more people and many resorts and hotels are coming up with these options in the premises for the tourists. Even some households in Kerala have tree house in their courtyards.
 
Wild life stay at Kerala is mostly enjoyed at Munnar, Thekkady, Athirapally waterfalls and Wayanad. Tree houses are usually built near the forest area to keep the natural environment charm as it is and huge trees give magnificent view from the top. It provides a day in the middle of green forest and leisure time away from the stress and difficulties of everyday life. Some luxurious tree houses even offer the facilities of TV, Internet, Computer and other modern equipments to enjoy the stay. The farm houses Kerala is a modern initiative to promote eco tourism and has a peculiarity of having a tree house in the premises which offer the stay in the middle of nature. 
 
Parambikulam Tiger reserve at Palakkad has a tree house at Thoonakadavu, the reserve forest area. Advance booking facility is available here.  Utharam Kayam located near the Neyyar dam in Thiruvananthapuram managed by the Forest department has an accommodation arranged in a tree house for the visitors. Many resorts have tree house which offers stay in the middle of greenery and natural habitat. Rangerwood Nature Castle Machan near Periyar wildlife sanctuary at Thekkady, Tranquil Plantation resort in Wayanad, Hiliya Resort at Kenichira in Wayanad, Marmalade Springs at Chembara peak in Wayanad, Dream Catcher Resort in Munnar, Nature Zone Tree house resort in Munnar, Rainforest Resort at Athirapally, Carmelia Haven at Vandanmedu in Thekkady, Green Woods Resort (Vanya Tree house) in Thekkady, Vythiri resort at Wayanad, are some of the main resorts that offers a luxurious stay on tree tops. Forest stay in Kerala is made well-known to the world with the modernization of the tree houses from the earlier storage places to luxury homes.
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Mathikettan Shola Rain Forest

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Mathikettan Shola Rain Forest

 
Mathikettan Shola Rain Forest also known as Mathikettan Shola National park is located in the Poopara village of Udumbanchola taluk of Idukki district of Kerala state. It is spread across 12.82 sq.km and very rich in flora and fauna. In 1897 the Travancore Government declared Mathikettan Shola as a reserve forest. Part of the land was leased for Cardamom plantations before it was declared as the National park on 21st November in 2003. The declaration took place to protect the ecological, floral, faunal and geographical wealth for the coming generations. The word Shola is derived from Tamil language and it means a thick forest combined with huge trees and grass land. This combination makes way for bio diversity and cool climatic conditions. Mathikettan in local language means ‘mind confuser’ and people say that one forgets the path after entering the forest.
 
People can reach Mathikettan Shola National Park from Poopara via Munnar through the Munnar – Kumily Highway. It takes approximately 1.15 hours and the distance is 34 km from Munnar. Another road to reach Poopara is through the Idukki - Kothamangalam route. Poopara is 85km away from Kothamangalam and it takes approximately 2.30 hours to travel this distance. From Kochin airport it is 130km and from Madurai airport it is 120 km to Mathikettan Shola National Park. Munnar and Nedumkandam are the close by towns. Kottayam is the nearest railway station and it is at a distance of 150km and takes 4.30 hours to reach. Poopara has ample lodging facilities for the visitors.

The forest receives both south-west and north-east monsoon heavily which is a solid factor of the richness in vegetation and wildlife in this limited area national park. The forest is full of greenery and Bhesa Indica, Callophyllum austro-indicum, Syzyium gardneri, Chionanthus ramiflorus and Litsea wighteana are the dominant trees in this forest. The mosses, lichen, aroids, ferns and orchids cover these trees. Many varieties of birds, mammals, butterflies and reptiles are abundantly found here. The commonly seen animals are Elephant, gaur, wild bear, sambar deer, wild dog and jungle cat. The richness and diversity of the park resembles that of Anamudi Shola National Park along the Western Ghat area in Idukki district. Also this is one of the well known Elephant corridors in Kerala. Mathikettan is considered as an ideal place for the environment education. The only tribal community living in the Mathikettan Shola National Park area is Muthuvan. Trekking is the main attraction here which gives a unique opportunity to observe the wild animals and biodiversity of the plants and trees. Permission from the forest department is required for trekking. Guided tours are operated for the visitors and November to March is the best period to explore the rain forest.
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Moozhiyar

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Moozhiyar

Moozhiyar is a beautiful dam site is in Pathanamthitta district in Kerala state. This dam is built as a part of the Sabarigiri Hydro electric project. Pathanamthitta is a place where many churches, temples and mosques are present and they all function in religious harmony. The nearest railway station is Chengannur (85km) and Thriuvalla (87km). Cochin International airport is the nearest airport and at a distance of 175km. The dam site is surrounded by forest area and elephants are seen crossing the roads at times. The journey to Moozhiyar is through Seethathodu and till here small shops are available. Then the forest division starts and visitors should take the permission from the check post to get in to the Moozhiyar forest area. Tourists need to leave the forest area before 6pm due to safety and security measures. The climate is unpredictable as it may rain heavily or clear out in no time. People can view the Penstock pipes that connect the reservoir and the power house from the lookout point inside the forest area. One small tea shop is available near the lookout point for refreshments. The journey to Moozhiyar is a life time experience and it’s a watchers paradise.
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Kakki Dam

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Kakki Dam

Kakki dam was built in 1966 as a part of the Sabarigiri Hydroelectric project. Kakki reservoir, a tributary to Pamba River is located in the Pathanamthitta district. The reservoir is a by product of the Kakki and Anathode dams. The reservoir can hold water up to 981.45 meters above the sea level to reach full capacity. The dam and reservoir is a popular tourist spot and lies very close to the Pathanamthitta forest and Western Ghats. People can explore the dam and surroundings on the way from Pathanamthitta to Gavi, the beautiful and pristine forest retreat. The distance from Pathanamthitta to Kakki dam is 11 km.
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How to find best resorts in Alleppey ?

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How to find best resorts in Alleppey ?

The simple method of finding the best resort in Alleppey is to search on major search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. A list of resorts in the locality can be obtained from here. The major resorts are having their own websites which provide the details of rooms, services and rates from which the customer can choose from. The best method to avail the maximum discounted rates is to book directly on the resorts website. To know more about the services, specialities and drawbacks of a particular place one can search for the customer reviews on Tripadvisor. Apart from this social networking sites like Facebook, Pinterest, Google plus and Twitter can be used for further enquiries. These are the appropriate methods of finding best resorts in Alleppey. Punnamada Resort is the best resort in Alleppey. Punnamada Resort offers back water view, free yoga sessions, free evening tea/coffee snacks, free one hour sunset cruise and user friendly online booking facility to the guest. The resort is constructed in Kerala traditional architecture and eco friendly too. The resort has a large goodwill record of client testimonials. The resort has an authentic Ayurveda centre and offers many therapies which cover the major health issues. Ayurvedic massages are also available for relaxing the body in a short time span. The trained staffs in every wing of the resort are pledged for the best hospitality service to be given to the guest.
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Kulamavu dam

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Kulamavu dam

Kulamavu dam is located at Idukki and near to the Idukki & Cheruthoni dams. It is build across the Periyar River and is one of the major power projects of Kerala. The project is completed with the financial aid from Canada government in the form of loans and grants. Kulamavu dam gets the major share of water from Idukki and Cheruthoni dam sites. The water of the dam is directed to the power station at Muvattupuzha valley through the underground power tunnels. These power tunnels work on two underground power shafts and the water passes through this to reach the power station. The power house has a capacity of producing 780MW in a day divided into six units of 130MW. The entry to the dam site is open for only one month due to the security reasons and the dates are published by the government. The nearest airport is Cochin approximately 104 km from Idukki. The nearest railway station Ernakulam is at 113 km distance. Kottayam railway station is at 130km distance. Idukki wildlife sanctuary is in the vicinity which is spread over 77sq.km. Elephant, Sambar, Deer, Bison, Wild dog, Jungle cat, Wild boar, Tigers are the inhabitants of this sanctuary. Many varieties of birds like Jungle owl, myna, black bulbul, laughing thrush, peafowl, wood pecker and kingfisher live here. Poisonous and non poisonous snakes are found in this environment.
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Maruthuva Malai

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Maruthuva Malai

Maruthuva Malai is well known as a peak of medicinal herbs and is located at the southernmost tip of Western Ghats. It is 11km from Nagercoil and just 2km from Swamithoppe. Marthuva Malai is believed as a fallen down part from the Sanjeevani Mountain which was carried by Hanuman from Mahendragiri to Lanka to cure the fatal wounds of Lakshmana, the younger brother of Sree Rama. The hill is spread across more than one kilometre and the highest peak is 800 feet from the base level. Guru Narayana, Sage Agasthyar, Paramartha lingeshwar, Chattambi Swamikal and many Buddhist monks used to meditate over this hill in the ancient period. At that time the hill was full of thorny trees and animals like leopard used to roam. The people lived in the plain was astonished to see Guru Narayana living in between the animals without any harm. Then Guru gave them the advice that without any provocation animals will never attack humans. He told them not to fear the animals without any reason. The path to the top of the hill is rocky and some where steps are built for easier climb.
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Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary

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Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary

Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary is located at Kollam and belongs to the protected area of the Western Ghats. It comes under the control of Agastyamalai Biosphere Reserve and plays an important role in preserving the rich biological variety. The sanctuary was established in 1984 and from the total area of 172sq.km an artificial lake of 26sq.km is formed due to the Parappar dam built across the Shenduruny, Kulathupuzha and Kazhuthuruthy rivers. Shenduruny, the name is derived from one particular endemic tree in the sanctuary area called ‘Chengurinji’. Thenmala dam reservoir is in close proximity and is enclosed by this wildlife sanctuary. Majority of the area of this sanctuary is covered with tropical and semi evergreen forests. The lion-tailed macaque is found here which is being counted in the endangered species. Great Eared Nightjar, a highly elusive night bird was seen for the first time at Shenduruny wildlife sanctuary. The bird got its name from one feature seen behind its eyes as two erect earlike tufts of feathers on its head. Other inhabitants of this sanctuary are Elephant, Bison, Sambar, wild boar, Nilgiri Langur, deer and lion tailed macaques. A recent archaeological survey has found a rock shelter which contains some pre-historic rock engravings belonging to the Mesolithic period (5210-4420BC). Nearest railway station is Shengottai (Tamil Nadu) at a distance of 15km. Trivandrum International airport is the nearest and 53km away from Shenduruny.
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Varkala Light House

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Varkala Light House

Varkala light house is 130 feet tall and is on the close proximity of the Varkala beach. This light house was built as a navigational aid for ships that sailed from Britain to India for establishing the trade with Indian vendors. The light house is open from 3-5pm. People can go to the top by climbing the 360 degree round vertical ladder built inside the light house. The view from top is really marvelous. It gives a panoramic view of the sea and town from the top. The light house is essentially liked for its scenic beauty which can be captured on photographs by the tourists. Another attraction, Anjengo fort – a historic English monument is standing opposite to the light house. Both these places are very much appreciated by tourists while exploring Varkala.
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Varkala beach (Papanasam Beach)

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Varkala beach (Papanasam Beach)

Varkala beach is also known as Papanasam beach and it is 6km away from the Varkala city. Papanasam means cleansing of sins in local language. People conduct the last rites of the deceased on this beach. It is believed that the soul of the deceased gets moksham by dipping the last ashes in the sea. Varkala beach has cliffs adjacent to the Arabian Sea which is a unique geological feature in comparison with the rest of flat Kerala cost. Many natural water sprouts are seen on the sides of these cliffs. The beach is ideal for sun bath and swimming. In the evening the sunset view is really mind blowing. There are many restaurants and local eateries available on the beach for visitors. Many massage and ayurvedic treatment centers are also available along with accommodation facilities. Famous Janardhana Swamy (Vishnu) temple is located near the beach.
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Ponnumthuruthu Island

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Ponnumthuruthu Island
Ponnumthuruthu Island is located near Varkala at Trivandrum district. The nearest railway station Varkala is at 5km and the nearest airport Trivandrum is at 30km distance. Ponnumthuruthu Island is in the midst of Anjengo backwaters. This uninhabited island can be reached by a ferry only. For the cruise one has to reach the makeshift jetty at the nearby Nedunganda Village. An ancient Shiva Parvathi temple in this island is believed to be 100 years old. It is locally known as ‘Thuruthu kshethram’ and offers a free ferry to the visitors. The temple was rebuilt a decade ago and local people often visit here to offer prayers. During Shivratri a lot of devotes gather in the temple to spend the night in prayers. Being surrounded by lush greenery, trees and the lake this island offers a pleasant climate throughout the year. The cruise to the Island is in complete harmony with the nature and keeps people rejuvenated. Plenty of ducks, eagles and egrets are seen during the ride.
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